All institutions of higher learning in the United States are required by law to create accessible learning environments. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (amended in 2008) prohibits discrimination against, and mandates reasonable accommodation for, persons with disabilities. Additionally, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 504 and 508, makes it illegal to exclude or discriminate against qualified individuals from programs receiving federal aid. In both cases, discrimination includes inaccessible digital content. Underscoring this legal mandate, Brown University’s DIAP Phase II expresses a commitment “to ensure an equitable experience for individuals with disabilities across all major web and technology platforms and experiences” (p. 12).
Beyond satisfying legal requirements, a commitment to accessibility has important pedagogical benefits. Accommodating students with disabilities or with different technology needs helps create a more inclusive learning environment in general and enables all students' full engagement with course materials. Video captions and audio transcripts, for example, can help not only students who cannot hear the content, but also those who prefer to study in quiet spaces or students who speak primary languages other than English. Designing for accessibility means designing for all. (This is one of the tenets of Universal Design for Learning, a helpful framework for optimizing student learning.)
However, national studies suggest that it can be challenging for instructors to know where to start (Shinohara, Kawas, Ko, & Ladner, 2018). Fortunately, Brown instructors have access to a new Canvas accessibility tool called Pope Tech.